Re: [Trisquel-users] make a free software version of google earth?

[strypey]

The main challenge to replacing Google Earth is not the software, but the  
mapping data and satellite images. OpenStreetMap have done a good job of  
crowdsourcing map data for a libre Google Maps replacement, and their site  
becomes more useful all the time. Activists in some countries have convinced  
their governments to release the mapping data they hold, on behalf of the  
public, under a license compatible with OSM. For example, all the data in OSM  
for Aotearoa (NZ) where I live is official government supplied mapping data.

So mapping data is a relatively solved problem, but to create a libre  
replacement for Google Earth, we would need to find suppliers of satellite  
imagery who could be convinced to license it under a free culture license.  
It's not impossible, but it's a challenge. Are there are publicly-owned  
satellites that can create Earth images? Perhaps we could find a hip venture  
capitalist like Elon Musk whose company has satellites and would be willing  
to supply imagery for a Libre Earth?